Mobile computing devices can install and execute software applications. Software applications that are installed on a mobile computing device are often referred to as native applications. Most mobile computing devices include an application launcher that launches the native applications. In some mobile computing devices, the application launcher may be an integral part of an operating system that is installed on the mobile computing device. However, in many mobile computing devices, the application launcher may be a software application that can be downloaded similar to how the native applications are downloaded. The application launcher displays icons for the native applications on a home screen. Upon receiving a user selection of an icon, the application launcher launches the native application corresponding with the icon.
Most native applications have numerous states. Different states can display information about different entities. For example, a first state of a reviews application can display a review for a pizza store while a second state of the reviews application can display a review for a Chinese restaurant. Most native applications designate one of their states as a default state. The default state is presented when the native application is launched. Once the native application is launched, the user can select various graphical user interface (GUI) elements to navigate from the default state to another state. For example, the default state of the reviews application may include a search box. The user can enter the name of the pizza store in the search box and press a search button to view the state corresponding with the pizza store. Navigating from the default state to other states may require several user selections and may consume a non-trivial amount of time.